I've been debating purchasing a slow cooker for a couple of years now. It's not so much the money as whether I would use it and whether it would work better for me than my current cooking methods. I like cooking, am a competent cook and often cook stews, chilis, roasts.... I am single but usually cook in large batches that I portion and freeze or I have lots of leftovers. The vast majority of my cooking is done on weekends when I'm home. Then during the week I just reheat my leftovers and supplement with steamed veggies and starches, if needed. I typically use a large cast iron enamel dutch oven which I love because I can brown in it and then slow simmer without switching to a different pot. I also often use a large roasting pan in the oven. My oven and cooktop are gas. If I want to bake or broil a small portion of something (2-3 servings of fish, for example), I use a small electric toaster oven instead of the large gas oven. Just to give you a sense of what I typically make: last weekend I made roasted chicken thighs with lemon, thyme, shallots and garlic (yum!) served with buckwheat and steamed broccoli. I also grilled some chicken breasts to add to my lunch salads this week. In the freezer I have several containers of lentil stew, traditional chili, lentil soup and zucchini/tomato/sausage dish. This weekend I am planning to make chicken with mushrooms and cream sauce (good with rice or egg noodles and steamed veggies) and roasted chicken thighs with vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots, squash, etc.).
So here are my questions: Would a slow cooker be more economical than my current cooking methods in terms of utilities (gas is cheaper than electric, I believe)? Would my cooking methods translate easily to a slow cooker? Is there any benefit to using a slow cooker over my current methods? Anything else I haven't thought about?